The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-08-18

i try your biscuits, Hlm1, and forget Tor the
moment"
I The form of a meal was gone through
with, but the talk drifted into the only sub
ject that any one could think about.
''Dick, you haven't said word about
! your marriage. 1t is two weeks from to
day. We will have no home for Susie to
come to-"
Dick smiled for his mothers benefit and
answered brightly: ''Never mind that,
Mimi. 1t will have to be postponed for q
little while Don't worry about that"
"But, Dick, it may make a great differ
ence to SUSIE" said his father. "You will
no longer have snug farm at your back,
and you may have TO wait year or two be-
| fore you can get forehanded enough to
marry. Will Susie be willing to wait and
| take the chances when she can have her
cousin VIII, who is richl'
''Susie is as true as steel, dad. Will
Hartshorn can not take her from me" said
| Dick, laughing lightly. 1--WE may not be
able to marry for year or two, but we are
both young and life is before US. Don't
fret on our account / must 60 over and
tell her."
| 1t was not ten when he returned, but it
was the first time in many months that
both his parents had been found up at that
! hour. Traces of tears on their cheeks
showed that the subject of conversation
had not been changed.
"Susie will wait" he replied to his moth
er's unspoken question, 'until have made
a home for US three and it has grown big
enough for her to enter. / say what she
said. She won't marry me till l have. Our
MARRIAGES. postponed for year. She will
| work in the rubber factory and help me.
Her uncle has been appointed manager, and
| was out 10 see her yesterday to see If he
could get her as his chief clerk. He wants
some one who understands bookkeeping,
short hand and teIegraphy, and offered her
twelve dollars per week. She refused, of
course, but she has written tonight &C
cepting it. You see, dad, she didn't waste
her time, as you thought, in learning those
accomplishments last year. Her invest
ment of S120 will come back many fold"
His mother laid her hand upon his arm.
"Susie says that we can get the Wilson's
house at the bridge. It's quite as comfort
able as this, and we will soon forget all
about this trouble. You are only fretting
shall not. Susie's word is law to mother
and me; and, father, will you not do what
we three want you to?'
"Dick," said his father, with deep feel
ing, Il should have named you Benjamin.
Susie will make a good wife. take back
all l said about her spending money. She
was wiser than 1, but l don't think it was
woman's work"
'Even her spending four dollars for can
celled postage stamps!" asked Dick, mis-
chieviously.
"Well," said his father, with smile and
a shake of the head, ''that was a vanity.
TWENTY-FIVE cents for yard Of ribbon l
can understand, but 25 cents for an old
one-cent postage stamp which 1 bought
new only few years ago for cent I can
not understand. l think it would be more
natural for a pretty girl to spend her
money for ribbons than for little pieces of
soiled paper"
''She says that her collection, which cost
her less than so, can be sold any dav to
dealer for S35, and that he will sell it again
for 500. The stamps she paid 25 cents
each for are now sold for S1.25 and 81. So
She intends to sell them all to have a nest
egg to start with.'
81 don't want better girl than Susie for
a daughter. / always said that. Dick.
That there stamp business was the only
vanity l ever knew in her, but she has
right to some vanity. She has the Lock-
wood grit and truth. Let US ask God to
bless her."
At noon the next day Mrs. Ferris asked
Dick to give her an hours help in the gar
ret as she wished to go over the accumu-
lated rubbish Of a century to SEQ what
would be worth moving.
s'What is in this old hair trunk, mother"
asked Dick, as he sorted out the relics Of
five generations.
THAT was your Aunt Seliny's. It's full
OF letters and papers. All her husbands
love-letters are there, for she saved every
one that was ever writ TO her. She saved
all the letters that he ever received, and
he did big business till he failed. Seliny
was little queer. Hewas great scholar,
was Jack. He went to college and was
professor when he courted Seliny. His
letters read like book, and Seliny was
very proud of them"
Dick open the moth-eaten, cowhide-cov-
cred little trunk, in its time as much a
source of pride as any genuine alligator
skin one is now to its possessor. There on
top, as il put in last, was a bundle of let
ters, tied with faded ribbon. Dick took
out one with some curiosity. 1t was writ
ten before envelopes were in common use,
and the address was on the middle fold of
been turned into one another and sealed.
''Mother, may come upl' called clear,
sweet voice from the stairway, but without
giving time for reply the speaker ap-
peared aud was clasped in Mrs. Ferris
arms. She seemed to bring the sunshine
which that instant came pouring through
the high side window, falling full upon the
little trunk and covering it with golden
glory.
30 Susie, Susier was all Mrs. Ferris
could say, as she held her tightly. For
moment Susie talked for both. She had
come for that feminine draught Of Lethe,
known as "a good cry"
Tears and talk and laughterl Laughter
and talk and tearsl Hysteria looked in at
the window.
Dick had patience. But patience had a
limit
"Mother-Susie," said he reproachfully,
"where and when do enter in this little
loving matchl Have 1 no rights: Is not
this mother mine, and the sweetheart, too!
Ven kissing till have mine"
Susie laid her hand on his. and lifted
bright and laughing face frankly to his
This is an extra" she said gayly. 81
didn't expect to see you, Dick. What is
that you have in your hand!" She bent
over to look at it with manifest curiosity.
he handed it to her.
'It's only an old love-letter from Uncle
Jack to Aunt Selma" She was only look
ing at the superscription, her face paling
and flushing.
Hysteria again glanced in at the window.
'Do you know what it is worthl'' she
asked with an effort. Have you many of
these, that you treat them so carelesslyn
StNo ~ said nicl- GgTa IL q ataun mt ~